1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to novelty items incorporating fiber optic principles and more particularly to a container having means, using fiber optic principles, for illuminating an etched pattern formed in a sidewall of the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pedestal and coaster devices for illuminating a drinking glass seated thereupon to produce a novel lighting effect have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,878,386; 4,344,113 and 4,858,084. In such devices, the light emergent from the underlying support device is directed upwardly through the center of the glass.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,563,726 and 4,922,355 disclose drinking glasses which have light-emitting means incorporated into the bottom of the glass. Similarly to the pedestal-type illuminating devices, the light is directed upwardly through the center of the glass. Such centralized illumination of a beverage in a glass produces a sparkling, or chemiluminescent light effect. Any indicia on the sidewall of the glass is seen as an indistinctive opaque silhouette profile.
Further, a novel lighted drinking glass is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,699, incorporated herein by reference, and which is illustrated in FIG. 6.
This conventional drinking glass illuminates indicia 66 on a sidewall 60 of the glass, and the indicia provides a 3-dimensional or depth effect.
This glass, which is fabricated of a transparent plastic such as polyacrylate or polycarbonate polymer, includes an elongated sidewall 60 having a circular contour with a center axis 61 of symmetry and extending between an uppermost (lip) extremity 62 and a lowermost extremity 63. The sidewall 60 is bounded in part by opposed interior and exterior surfaces 64, 65. Indicia 66, such as an etched pattern for conveying information, advertising or the like, is formed as recesses in the sidewall 60. The recesses are emergent upon the exterior surface and extend in depth partially through the sidewall 60 toward the interior surface 64. The recesses are defined by facets which in part are angled with respect to the axis 61.
A base 70 joins the lowermost extremity of the sidewall 60 as a continuous integral extension thereof, and has an impervious sealable compartment 73 and flat bottom surface 72. A lighting mechanism, housed within the compartment, includes a re-chargeable battery 77 and at least one light-emitting diode 78 activated by the battery 77 and disposed beneath the lowermost extremity 63 of the sidewall 60.
A switch mechanism 79, confined within the compartment, energizes the light-emitting diode 78 when the glass is upright on its base 70, and de-activates the diode when the glass is turned upside down. A removable, sealable access panel, disposed upon the lower surface of the base 70, provides access to the compartment.
In operation, when the drinking glass is in its upside down, stored state, ambient illumination acting upon the solar cells serves to charge the battery.
However, the above drinking glass has several problems. First, the light-emitting diodes are formed in an orientation which is horizontal (e.g., parallel to a bottom surface (e.g., bottom plane) of the glass. Such an orientation is difficult to manufacture precisely and the molding technique of the glass is cumbersome and very time-consuming.
The LED positioned horizontally is mounted into or inside a horizontal cavity. This cavity is in the opposite direction of the general mold. The mold is manufactured to split along the vertical length of the glass. Thus, the structural part of the glass in a horizontal direction requires extensive mold changes, thereby creating a more complicated mold with more mold pieces (to include a plurality of "gates" etc.). Thus, the mold will not only open and close to the vertical main structure, but also requires a second molding action (and mold portion) for the horizontal cavity, which is time-consuming and costly. Thus, molding the horizontal structure (e.g., parallel to the bottom of the glass) is disadvantageous.
A second disadvantage of the conventional glass is that the glass is activated only by use of a simple gravity switch. The gravity switch only energizes the light-emitting diode when the glass is upright on its base portion, and deactivates the diode when the glass is turned upside down.
Thus, the glass is operational in an upright position and to deactivate the glass the glass must be affirmatively grasped by the operator and tilted upside down or at the very least tilted to a predetermined angle (e.g., as in drinking) for the illumination of the indicia to be terminated. Hence, such a gravity switch degrades the ability of the glass to be selectively illuminated (e.g., a significant and desired portion of the time), and thus diminishes the advertising and pleasing effects of the glass.
With the tilt switch, the glass remains lit at all times when the glass is in the upright position. The glass cannot be turned off unless it is turned over, which is troublesome if a beverage is in the glass.
Further, it is impossible for a user to drink from the glass without the glass being illuminated. Thus, there is no capability to use the glass so as to be selectively illuminated such that the glass can be nonilluminated and still be used as a beverage container or drinking glass. Hence, an advertising or pleasing effect cannot be obtained in each and every orientation of the conventional glass.